Sharks: Predators in Peril

On the front page of the Vancouver Sun this morning was part 1 of a very interesting investigation into sharks. Today was about the decline worldwide and locally.

The Sun says, “A new research paper reveals there are 28 species of sharks in Canada’s oceans – more than half of them found off the B.C. coast – ranging from the common dogfish to exotics such as great whites, and hammerheads. Of those 28 species, 12 are rated as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list and another seven as near threatened.”

The Sun continues to postulate on why the ocean’s shark population is in decline, “The Major driving factor is Asian demand for pricey shark-fin soup – strictly a status symbol, the fins providing no flavour. Between 26 million and 73 million sharks are estimated to be traded annually for their fins, an unsustainable harvest by any measure.”

There’s a website tied to the story www.vancouversun.com/sharks which is REALLY interesting including a link to a Google map of where the sharks live and links to external sites with more information.